Ju Liusun
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Ju Liusun (Chinese: 懼留孫; pinyin: Jù Liúsūn) is a Daoist immortal in the 16th-century Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi). He is one of the Twelve Golden Immortals (十二金仙), disciples of Yuanshi Tianzun, and resides at Feiyun Cave on Jialong Mountain (夾龍山飛雲洞). Ju Liusun is the Daoist counterpart of the acient Buddha Krakucchanda (拘留孫佛).[1]
In Investiture of the Gods
[edit]As one of the Twelve Golden Immortals, Ju Liusun supports the Zhou dynasty in its campaign against the Shang dynasty. His best-known magical treasure is the Immortal-Binding Rope (捆仙繩; Kunxiansheng), which automatically binds its target and prevents escape.[2][3]
His most important storyline centers on his disciple, Tu Xingsun (土行孫), who is known for his ability to travel through the earth. After being persuaded by Shen Gongbao and tempted by worldly rewards, Tu Xingsun steals the Immortal-Binding Rope and joins the Shang forces, using the treasure to capture several Zhou generals. After learning of his disciple's betrayal, Ju Liusun descends from Jialong Mountain. Because he knows how to control the Immortal-Binding Rope, he easily subdues Tu Xingsun, recovers the treasure, and prepares to execute him. Jiang Ziya later persuades him to spare Tu Xingsun, who subsequently joins the Zhou army.[4][5]
Ju Liusun later takes part in several major battles. During the Nine-Bend Yellow River Array (九曲黃河陣), he and the other Twelve Golden Immortals are captured by the Sanxiao Niangniang (三霄娘娘) and temporarily lose their cultivation. He later joins the final battle to break the Ten Thousand Immortals Array (萬仙陣).[6]
At the end of the novel, Ju Liusun leaves the Chan Sect and joins the Western Sect (西方教), where he becomes Krakucchanda Buddha (拘留孫佛). Other Daoist immortals undergo similar transformations, including Cihang Daoren (who becomes Guanyin), Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun (who becomes Manjushri), and Puxian Zhenren (who becomes Samantabhadra).[7][8]
Scholarly interpretation
[edit]Some scholars interpret Ju Liusun as an example of the "boundary-crossing" (越界) archetype in Chinese literature. Sociologist Ng Chun-hung has analyzed his narrative arc as a departure from the sectarian boundaries of the Chan Sect. In this reading, Ju Liusun’s transition from a Daoist master to a figure associated with Buddhism is seen as reflecting a form of "playful detachment" (遊戲人間) that moves beyond fixed religious categories. This interpretation presents Ju Liusun not only as a mythological character, but also as a literary archetype comparable to the ideal of the cai zi (才子), who moves across institutional and cultural boundaries in pursuit of personal or spiritual freedom.[9]
References
[edit]- ↑ 学朮硏究 (in Chinese). 广东人民出版社. 1990. p. 48.
- ↑ Xu Zhonglin. "55: Tu Xingsun Takes Command of the Army (土行孫師出降妖)". Investiture of the Gods (封神演義) (in Chinese).
- ↑ 有英气：兵器传说图典 [Heroic Spirit: Illustrated Compendium of Weapon Legends] (in Chinese). 中国致公出版社. 1 October 2020. ISBN 978-7-5145-1665-4.
- ↑ Xu Zhonglin. "56: Ziya Stratagem Captures Tu Xingsun (子牙設計收土行孫)". Investiture of the Gods (封神演義) (in Chinese).
- ↑ 山东地方戏曲传统剧目汇编: 莱芜梆子 (in Chinese). 山东省戏曲研究室. 1986.
- ↑ Xu Zhonglin. "83: Three Masters Break the Array (三大師收獅象犼)". Investiture of the Gods (封神演義) (in Chinese).
- ↑ "从《哪吒》到《封神》：国民传说中的阐截二教之争" [From Nezha to Fengshen: The dispute between Chan and Jie sects in national legends] (in Chinese). The Beijing News (新京报). February 2025. Retrieved 2026-07-02.
- ↑ 明清小说研究 [Studies on Ming and Qing Dynasty Novels] (in Chinese). 中国文联出版公司. 1990. p. 135.
- ↑ 黃獎 (2015). 香港封神: 由哥哥說到忌廉哥 [Hong Kong’s Legendary Figures: From Leslie Cheung to Cream Brother] (in Chinese). Joint Publishing (Hong Kong). ISBN 9789620448102.